Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-30
Gales aud Sketehts.
BRAvING THE BLOCKADE.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

| UOW.
looked through the inky darkness and
over the stern rail.
eff we had KEEP on for three meenits
we wad ha' been blowed out O. the water,
mon. Sac keep var mooth still or they'll
put We doom below"
had got nv warning, and I contented
myself with trying to look through the
gloomy pail on both sides and in front OF
the boat. The big mass OF the island
grew more defined, when suddenly the
boat veered again and stood out to sea.
The speed was sensibly slackened.
He's feelin' his way" whispered the
Calendonian.
Again the swift steamer took another
tack, and the speed slackened still more.
II dinna think we'll gang ootthe NIGHT. -
continued my mentor. There 8 yin (one)
big cruiser DOT there. He could skirt
RIGHT by her easy enough, but there g
anither DOT there. See there! if there S
no anither yin jist ayont her. Ma. ma,
We'll no gang out the NIGHT"
/ was disappointed. The quiet, re.
pressed excitement had began to work on
my nerves. The bold dash and pursuit,
it seemed to me, would be positive re-
lief Still, that pilot knew his business.
| Again the course was altered, the speed
increased and the saucy blockade runner
darted forward.
The jar of the machinery, driven at the
highest rate of speed, was audible, and
the boat began to tremble from stem to
Stern like living thing.
Hes gaun to try it, after O.. Guilds
sake, mon, but he's spunk. See there!
We're gaun RIGHT through between them
two. ii they see US we're gone"
The Fanny tore through the water like
a greyhound. Nearer and nearer we ap-
preached the underlined black mass of a
cruiser on our right. Then she turned to
the lett, and then discovered the dim out
line of another vessel. Another turn of
the wheel and we are between the two,
neither more than 300 yard distant. Away
we sped, the thin bow throwing up a
straight jet of spray which was illumi-
mated with phosphorescent sparkles.
Three minutes of almost maddening sus-
pense.
A blue light in the black expanse! We
are discovered But, what matter? They
can never catch the Fanny. A bright,
angry light like the uncovering of a
volcano!
Bang
The roar and scream of fiery shell as
it came in our direction caused all hands
to stop involuntarily. The rushing missile
passed us and exploded about $50 yards
beyond our starboard bow. No whisper
ings now Everybody talked. the captain
laughed and said: "She can't hit u.s."
And on we sped. Another glare and
screaming roar. but the missile fell short
without exploding. No other sound broke
the stiffness of the night. We had eluded
them. Shortly a1terward | crawled into
my bunk and slept soundly.
arose about o'clock and at once saw
something transporting that interested all
on board. The captain, pilots and mates
were all surveying through their glasses
a steamer some six miles distant on our
weather bow. The sailors had no duties
to perform save trimming the boat by
rolling cotton bales from side to side, as
the pendulum on the forward cabin indi.
Gated an uneven keel. caused by the con-
sumption of coal below, but they were all
gazing at the steamer.
That's the cleverest screw ever saw
cdlN ototSu itlCDu, 10 liC oPdt OuG HIS
quid and bit off another from plug OF
Lynchburg tobacco which | had given
him. ''She was hull down at daylight but
she has been gainin' on US a the while.
She's yin O. Uncle Sans cruisers. Jamie,
he called to another sailor, "is ma the
Connecticut screw?"
Il diuna KEN"
"Weel, she'll be here by denner time
I'm ihinkin'," said "Scotty," as he re.
sumed rolling the bales.
1t looked as though his prediction would
be verified. The "clever screw" was
overhauling the Fanny, to the evdel I
modification of the captain. AT noon the
stranger. with the advantage of being on
the weather bow, was only about three
miles distant. The smoke from her stack
made clear black line to the horizon in
the calm atmosphere. The crew ate their
dinner from tin pans on the cotton bales
forward, ever and anon looking askant at
the screw | borrowed telescope, and
saw a crowd of mariners on the bow and
even thought | could distinguish the cap.
tain's gold epaulettes glistening in the
sun.
stop eating there and stand BY" shout.
ed the mate.
"Aye, aye, sir"
"Deckload overboard!"
AYE, aye, sir"
Here, youngster," he called to me,
handing out sailors knife as sharp as a
razor, lust help cutting the ropes on
these bales.''
Nine knives were brought into use and
soon all hands after taking the bales abaft
the wheelhouse, cut the ropes and tossed
their precious Enclosures overheard.
There goes my brick house and
grounds at Birkenhead," said the captain,
with sigh.
The fires underneath the boiler were
raked out and Jumps of rosin mixed witt
coal and sprinkled with spirits OF turpen.
tine were thrown into the stoke holes. The
fires blazed like section of pandemoniun
and the boat, which only trembled before
now fairly shuddered with the intense
pressure of the steam. The safety valves
were fastened down and the boat fairly
flew through the water.
"There!" said the captain, sit she car
gain on me now III just lay to and wal
for her. Three thousand pounds gone te
the devil. I'll have to make some NOR,
trips before can build that house at Birk
enhead."
He was part owner. and consequent,
l. l,1k